INNISFAIL – It will be an all-Eagles affair for Alberta AAA senior men’s hockey.
The Innisfail Eagles and the Stony Plain Eagles will make up the two-team Allan Cup Hockey West League (ACHW) in the 2019-20 season. The development follows declarations last week from the Eagles that the team could move to the AA North Central Hockey League.
The ACHW, formerly known as the Chinook Hockey League, is the longest existing senior hockey league in Alberta and the second in all of Canada.
The future of the league has been up in the air since the Lacombe Generals announced they were folding at the end of May.
Since then the ACHW president, Richard Gregory, sat down with Innisfail and Stony Plain to discuss future plans.
A decision was made at the league’s AGM on June 1.
“Stony Plain and ourselves are going to stay in effect and we're going to keep the league going," said Ryan Dodd, general manager for the Innisfail Eagles. "We've been around for a long time and we are two of the oldest standing teams from the league. We're not going anywhere."
Dodd said he didn’t expect to see any additions to the league next season.
“I don't think you'll see any new teams this season. I think it's too late because I think teams have committed to (other) leagues,” he said. “But I think teams will watch and see what happens with our league and I think we'll have interest in the league."
In a letter sent to the ACHW league on May 24, Jeff McInnis, the general manager of the Lacombe Generals, said the team can no longer go on.
“With the current situation we find ourselves in whereas there are only three Senior AAA hockey clubs remaining in Alberta/B.C., we find today to be the right time to hang up our skates and withdraw from the ACHW,” said McInnis, citing issues and contributing factors for their decision.
Since Lacombe’s decision to fold, there has been talk of whether the Generals would return. Dodd confirmed they would not be rejoining the league.
"I think they put a bit of a dagger into themselves here because you've got to go through our league (to play for an Allan Cup)," said Dodd. "Stony Plain and Innisfail, we sat down and talked about this and we think what they actually want is for our league to be dead. In every (press) release they said the league's dead, the league's dead, it's over, it's destroyed, the league's done, there's nobody to play anymore.
"That's exactly what they want everyone to believe so then that rule (of having to play in the league for the Allan Cup) is abolished and they can pop up and have a team whenever they want, and we're not going to do that," added Dodd.
Gregory said the future of the ACHW was discussed at the recent AGM.
“The wheels are in motion to re-strategize and figure out a plan for next year,” he said, noting the league will examine areas it needs to, but keep its focus on preparing for next season.
“We will take a good, hard look inward at our league, and then we have to focus on Innisfail and Stony Plain and try to get them in the best situation possible for next season,” said Gregory.
“If our league can get those two teams prepared and ready to battle for the Allan Cup, I think that’s what our duty is,” he added. “Certainly we are sad to see these other teams go, but I believe some of it’s for reasons that are beyond our control.”
Dodd recently approached the AA North Central Hockey League (NCHL) about joining them next season.
President of the AA North Central Hockey League, Jerry Muise, confirmed he did speak with Dodd recently about the Eagles' future, and noted they made an unsuccessful application to join the NCHL in mid-May. Dodd made contact again at the end of May.
Muise said the NCHL sent out an email to its member teams, asking for their input on whether to allow Innisfail and Stony Plain to compete as AAA teams in their AA league.
Last Friday, the NCHL was awaiting team replies, said Muise.
With those replies no longer relevant for the Eagles' immediate future, Dodd said the team is already looking ahead elsewhere and planning for next season.
"We fully plan on hosting a pre-season tournament here in Innisfail on the weekend of October 5 and 6. That's going to consist of six teams and Innisfail and Stony will be in that tournament,” he said.
"Throughout the season we'll play Stony Plain twice (each month) in October, November, December and January, leading up to playoffs in February and March, to ultimately go to the Allan Cup.
“Our quest right now is still to try to capture an Allan Cup for our community. Our community deserves that,” added Dodd.
Gregory said going into the AGM he was not prepared to give up on the players, the teams or the league.
“At this point my focus is on these two teams that remain, what their desire is and how we as a board can help them get where they want to be, which is back to the Allan Cup next year, “ Gregory concluded.
With files from Johnny Bachusky
